When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Read More

Related Articles

Kyle was eventually diagnosed with ‘evolving’ cerebral palsy and it was hoped that the nasal gastric tube would be a short term fix and Kyle would grow out of his feeding issues.

Sadly that didn’t prove to be the case.

Kate said: “Unfortunately Kyle has never been able to eat or drink. He can’t take anything orally, not even medicine.

“He had a gastrostomy when he was a baby and this meant that he was fed straight into a hole in his tummy.”

The battles with his health were far from over though, and Kyle still has frequent bouts of prolonged vomiting which leave him often acutely ill and requiring hospital treatment.

Kate said: “These visits to hospital can be anything from 10 days to seven weeks. And in March 2019 it was decided that because of concerns about Kyle’s weight, he would be fitted with a portacath which would administer nutrition directly into his vein.”

(Image: Irvine Herald)

But even with that in place Kyle still spent his birthday and Christmas 2019 in hospital, only getting home on Hogmanay.

Kate said: “Kyle has so much to put up with, but he is the most contented wee boy you could ever meet.

“He smiles so much that people call him ‘smiley Kyley’ and he is so polite, always thanking the medical staff even after the most invasive procedures.

“There’s quite often a tear in medical staff’s eyes when they are with Kyle.”

Kate and her family are full of praise for the staff at Crosshouse Ward 1B who are ‘utterly amazing’ with Kyle.

And so when the chance came to support the launch of the new Crosshouse Children’s Charity Kate agreed to let Kyle take part.

“I had no idea how he’d react to it all, as routine is such a big thing for Kyle, but he was great,” said Kate.

“He bonded straight away with Amy from the charity, who helped to move balloons, which he hates, out of his way, and that was it, he was fine.”

Kyle hands over the cheque from the sweetie cones to Karen Kelly and Amy Aitken from the Crosshouse Children's Fund (Image: Handout,)

Kate is now a proud supporter of the Crosshouse Children’s Charity and is determined to spread the message that the fund is for all the children of Ayrshire, as well as continuing to raise funds.

Her fund raising started last September when she raised £280 in six days by baking and selling cheesecakes to order.

Then at Christmas she decided to spend the money she would normally give to charity by investing in treats for sweetie cones.

Kate said: “I thought, ‘why not give it a try, we could maybe even double our money’.

“We ended up making 500 sweetie cones and raised £1060 which we were stunned and delighted about.”